I was complaining to DH last night about how I'm so tired of all the picking up I have to do therefore the cleaning just doesn't happen as much as I'd like.

We talked about getting the kids on board more and that will help. But I also realized that I just don't like completing a job either. So my ah ha moment is if I just do one job to completion I'll get more accomplished than jumping around from one job to the next.

But I still think I'm afraid to go all out minimalism. Not quite sure why. But I know that I need to keep at it.

So my challenge to myself for January is to finish one job at a time and stop multitasking. Then the rest will fall into place.

Yah at first i was a bit like, I can do all things in a day. But obviously it's just not working. Example: I used to have monday's as my laundry day. I would do like a gazillion loads and get them all clean only to have the sit in baskets unfolded forever and then there was another monday and I'd dump out the clean laundry to use the baskets again. Well now I do only 1 maybe 2 loads a day and I'm getting them washed, dried, folded and almost always put away. I'm getting much better.

This is something my husband and I go thru all the time! I have a hard time letting stuff go and he throws all my stuff away! But I hate all the picking up and stuff that gathers but its hard to just go completely minimalist! I think we're conditioned to think we need stuff and changing that mind set is a real challenge

Try picking just one room and getting it as minimal as you can. Perhaps no knick-knacks in the bathroom, or just the table and chairs on your dining room. You'll see how much easier - and faster- it is to keep that space clean b/c you don't have to declutter before cleaning. It's so rewarding, and will help motivate you to continue.

I try reminding myself it's not an "all or nothing" thing. I'm doing the 2013 in 2013 challenge and I don't for one second believe that when the year is up, I will have a minimalist home. It's baby steps. By participating in this forum I find it's making me more aware of the items we choose to keep or part with and the items we choose to buy or not to buy. I do what I can and call it progress. If the task isn't complete but I'm not inspired to complete it today, I move on to an area that I'm inspired to make some progress in. Baby steps.

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AMA mom to my miracle baby...ttc for 6 yrs, gave up and by the time I learned I was pg, she was born a mere 28 days later at 2 lbs 10 oz. Truly my blessed miracle.